Discretionary transfer authority provided by the annual appropriations process allows the HHS secretary to transfer up to 1% of the funds in any HHS budget account to another HHS budget account, meaning that the Trump administration could theoretically transfer up to $231.9 MILLION from Ryan White into the ORR, as they are both housed within HHS.

In the coming days and weeks, we will no doubt learn more about the Trump administration's plans to transfer funding from Ryan White to the ORR, but regardless of what details come to light, we already know everything necessary to vigorously and vehemently oppose this scheme. It is bad enough that the Trump administration has endeavored to take away funding appropriated specifically to provide care to people living with HIV. Had it sought to shift that money to another department to address another pressing health care need, we still would have opposed it. But to take that funding away to tear young children away from their families, imprisoning them in chain-link cages for the crime of existing, is so barbaric and heartless that it warrants an opposition from the HIV advocacy community that is vicious and unyielding.